UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 7 February 2026
Kartavya Desk Staff
UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 7 February 2026 covers important current affairs of the day, their backward linkages, their relevance for Prelims exam and MCQs on main articles
InstaLinks : Insta Links help you think beyond the current affairs issue and help you think multidimensionally to develop depth in your understanding of these issues. These linkages provided in this ‘hint’ format help you frame possible questions in your mind that might arise(or an examiner might imagine) from each current event. InstaLinks also connect every issue to their static or theoretical background.
Table of Contents
GS Paper 3:
• Global Climate Governance
Global Climate Governance
• Chemical Gas Leak in India
Chemical Gas Leak in India
Content for Mains Enrichment (CME):
• TN Urban Greening Policy 2026
TN Urban Greening Policy 2026
• Changing blue-collar labour dynamics in the Gulf
Changing blue-collar labour dynamics in the Gulf
Facts for Prelims (FFP):
• Agni-3 Intermediate-Range Ballistic Missile
Agni-3 Intermediate-Range Ballistic Missile
• Central Sector Scheme of Formation and Promotion of 10,000 Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs)
Central Sector Scheme of Formation and Promotion of 10,000 Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs)
• Denotified Tribes (DNTs)
Denotified Tribes (DNTs)
• Deep Tech Start-ups
Deep Tech Start-ups
• Chabahar Port
Chabahar Port
Mapping:
• Mount Aconcagua
Mount Aconcagua
UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 7 February 2026
GS Paper 3:
Global Climate Governance
Source: TH
Subject: Environment
Context: The global climate governance discourse shifted after COP30 at Belém, Brazil, branded as the Global Mutirão (collective effort).
• However, the summit drew criticism for procedural optimism without substantive action, as it implicitly accepted a 1.5°C overshoot while failing to secure binding climate finance or fossil-fuel phase-out
About Global Climate Governance:
What it is?
• Climate governance refers to the web of international treaties, domestic laws, and institutional frameworks (like the UNFCCC) designed to coordinate global action to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to climate impacts.
Current Architecture of Global Climate Governance:
• The Dual-Track System: Governance revolves around the CMP (Kyoto Protocol) and the CMA (Paris Agreement), operating like hop-on, hop-off buses that maintain diplomatic motion but lack a mandatory final destination.
• Consensus-Based Veto: Decisions require consensus among nearly 200 nations, which effectively grants every party a veto and leads to diluted final texts that prioritize political face-saving over ecological necessity.
• The Global Mutirão Framework: Introduced at COP30, this framework emphasizes voluntary, people-led, and multi-stakeholder cooperation (civil society, youth, indigenous groups) rather than strictly binding state obligations.
• Enhanced Transparency Framework (ETF): A shift toward stricter Measurement, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) systems intended to hold countries accountable for their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).
Data & Statistics:
• Record Emissions: Global greenhouse gas emissions reached an all-time high of 57.4 GtCO₂e in 2024, with India recording the highest absolute rise among G20 nations.
• Finance Gap: Developed countries pledged to triple adaptation finance to $120 billion by 2035, yet developing nations require an estimated $2.4 trillion – $3 trillion per year.
• Temperature Trajectory: Current policies put the world on a path toward 2.8°C of warming, far exceeding the 1.5°C goal established a decade ago in Paris.
• Adaptation Deficit: Despite new pledges, only about $32 billion was directed toward adaptation in 2022, leaving a massive protection gap for vulnerable communities.
Challenges Associated:
• Implementation Disease: Pledges are often made without a binding timetable or specific funding sources.
E.g. While India has an ambitious 500 GW non-fossil capacity target, roughly 40 GW of projects have faced delays due to unsigned Power Sale Agreements and transmission bottlenecks.
• Growth vs. Sustainability: Economic imperatives often override ecological restraints in developing economies.
E.g. The clearing of the Great Nicobar Island project in 2024–25 highlighted the tension between strategic infrastructure development and the protection of biodiversity and carbon sinks.
• Coal Dependency: Heavy reliance on base-load coal power makes a rapid phase-out politically and economically difficult.
E.g. The Indian government recently approved an addition of 80 GW of new coal capacity by 2032 to ensure grid stability, complicating long-term decarbonization.
• Urban Climate Vulnerability: Rapid urbanization lacks integrated climate resilience, leading to Urban Heat Islands.
E.g. Cities like Delhi and Mumbai are increasingly reporting temperatures 3–5°C higher than surrounding rural areas due to concrete density and loss of green cover.
• Short-termism in Politics: Climate change is often viewed as a distant abstraction compared to immediate needs like food and employment.
E.g. The 2024–25 Wayanad landslides and various urban flooding events were treated primarily as disaster management tasks rather than triggers for long-term climate governance reform.
Major Initiatives Taken:
• Tropical Forests Forever Facility (TFFF): A proposed $125 billion fund launched at COP30 to compensate countries and indigenous people for preserving standing forests.
• PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana: India’s massive push to install rooftop solar in 10 million households, aiming to decentralize power and reduce emissions.
• Loss and Damage Fund Operationalization: The formal opening of the fund for applications at COP30, aimed at providing financial relief to countries hit hardest by climate disasters.
• Global Implementation Accelerator (GIA): A voluntary framework introduced to help nations align their domestic policies with the 1.5°C mission through technical support.
Way Ahead:
• Legally Binding Roadmaps: Shifting from voluntary encouragement to specific, time-bound fossil-fuel phase-down schedules for all major emitters.
• Reform of International Finance: Redesigning the global financial architecture to provide low-interest, long-term climate loans to emerging economies.
• Subnational Governance: Empowering state and city governments to lead adaptation efforts, as local contexts define climate risks.
• Nature-Based Solutions: Integrating Blue-Green infrastructure (mangroves, urban forests) into city planning to combat heatwaves and flooding.
• Universal Insurance: Expanding Climate Risk Insurance to protect smallholder farmers and coastal communities from the increasing frequency of extreme weather.
Conclusion:
The current state of climate governance is a paradox: we have created more platforms and frameworks than ever before, yet global emissions continue to rise to record levels. COP30’s Global Mutirão underscores that while international cooperation is the only way forward, it remains fragile and secondary to national interests. As the 1.5°C goal slips further out of reach, the focus must shift urgently from diplomatic theatre to the rapid mobilization of trillions in finance and the radical protection of our remaining natural ecosystems.
Q. “Equity and climate justice form the normative core of global climate finance”. Discuss the challenges in translating these principles into operational mechanisms under the Paris Agreement. Highlight their contemporary significance in ongoing negotiations. (10 M)
Chemical Gas Leak in India
Source: TOI
Subject: Disaster Management
Context: The recent gas leak at Sainex Met Chem Pharma in Sarigam GIDC, Valsad, has sparked fresh concerns regarding industrial safety in India’s chemical hubs after four individuals, including the unit owner, were hospitalized.
About Chemical Gas Leak in India:
What it is?
• A chemical gas leak is the unintentional release of hazardous gaseous substances or vapors into the environment, often resulting from equipment failure, human error, or chemical reactions.
• These leaks can involve toxic gases (e.g., Chlorine, Ammonia), flammable gases (e.g., LPG, Methane), or asphyxiants that displace oxygen.
Chemical Leak Data & Statistics in India
India’s rapid industrialization has led to a high density of chemical units.
• Major Accident Hazard (MAH) Units: India has over 1,861 MAH units spread across 300 districts, according to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).
• Recent Trends: Between 2021 and 2024, India reported an average of 15–20 significant chemical accidents annually, primarily in the Chemical Belt of Gujarat and Maharashtra.
• Casualty Rate: Over the last decade, chemical accidents in India have resulted in approximately 250+ deaths and over 500 major injuries.
• The Gujarat Hub: Gujarat alone accounts for nearly 35% of India’s chemical production, making it the most vulnerable state to industrial gas leaks.
• Small-Scale Vulnerability: Nearly 60% of chemical mishaps occur in Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) where safety audits are often less rigorous than in large MNCs.
Infamous Chemical Leaks in India:
Incident | Year | Chemical Involved | Impact
Bhopal Gas Tragedy | 1984 | Methyl Isocyanate (MIC) | World’s worst industrial disaster; thousands killed.
Vizag Gas Leak | 2020 | Styrene Gas | 12 deaths; thousands fell ill near LG Polymers plant.
Surat Gas Leak | 2022 | Hazardous Waste Gas | 6 workers died after inhaling fumes from a tanker.
Ludhiana Gas Leak | 2023 | Hydrogen Sulfide | 11 people died due to gas emanating from a sewer line.
Vapi Chemical Blast | 2024 | Multiple Reactants | Large-scale fire and toxic smoke evacuation in GIDC.
Challenges Associated:
• Enforcement of Safety Audits: Many units bypass regular pressure vessel testing.
E.g. In the 2026 Valsad leak, preliminary reports suggest the reactor’s integrity was compromised, yet it was operational.
• Proximity of Residential Areas: Industrial zones (GIDC) are often too close to worker colonies.
E.g. During the 2020 Vizag leak, the gas reached residential villages within minutes because the plant lacked a sufficient green buffer zone.
• Delayed Emergency Response: Lack of real-time gas sensors in older factories.
E.g. In the 2023 Ludhiana incident, authorities could not identify the gas source for hours, delaying the correct medical treatment for victims.
• Informal Labor Risk: Contractual workers are often not trained in Stop-Work authority or PPE use.
E.g. In the 2022 Surat tanker leak, workers were exposed because they were unaware of the hazardous nature of the waste being dumped.
• Aged Infrastructure: Many reactors in India’s older GIDCs have exceeded their 20-year safety lifespan.
E.g. Frequent pipe bursts in the Ankleshwar industrial estate (2025) have been attributed to the corrosion of decades-old chemical conduits.
NDMA Guidelines to Handle Chemical Leaks:
• Risk Mapping: Identification of MAH units and creating a Zone of Impact map for surrounding communities.
• Buffer Zones: Maintaining a mandatory No-Construction Zone around hazardous chemical storage.
• Emergency Response Centers (ERCs): Establishing 24/7 centers equipped with specialized Hazmat suits and neutralizing agents (like sodium bicarbonate).
• Mock Drills: Mandating quarterly joint drills between the factory, fire department, and local hospitals.
• Medical Preparedness: Ensuring local hospitals have Antidote Banks specific to the chemicals used in nearby industries.
The Way Ahead:
• Digital Monitoring: Implementation of IoT-based sensors on all reactors to provide real-time pressure alerts to the GPCB.
• Stricter Penalties: Moving beyond closure notices to heavy criminal liability for owners if safety protocols are skipped.
• Hazardous Waste Tracking: Using GPS-enabled tracking for all chemical waste tankers to prevent illegal dumping.
• Public Awareness: Using SMS-based early warning systems to alert residents within a 5km radius the moment a leak is detected.
• Green Chemistry: Incentivizing pharmaceutical units to switch to less volatile solvent alternatives to minimize gas cloud risks.
Conclusion:
The Valsad gas leak is a sobering reminder that industrial growth must not come at the cost of human safety. While the four victims are recovering, the incident underscores the systemic gaps in reactor maintenance and emergency cordoning. Strengthening the oversight of the Gujarat Pollution Control Board and adopting Safety-by-Design is the only way to prevent the next major chemical tragedy.
#### UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 7 February 2026 Content for Mains Enrichment (CME)
TN Urban Greening Policy 2026
Context: Tamil Nadu Urban Greening Policy 2026 was launched by Tamil Nadu CM to enhance urban green cover and build climate-resilient cities.
About TN Urban Greening Policy 2026:
What it is?
• The TN Urban Greening Policy 2026 is a comprehensive state policy framework to systematically expand and manage green spaces in urban areas, integrating climate action, biodiversity conservation, and urban livability.
Key features
• Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) to maintain at least 15% green cover, contributing to the state’s long-term 33% greening goal.
• Creation of a dedicated Urban Forest Wing under the Municipal Administration & Water Supply Department and a state-level coordination committee.
• Promotion of urban forests (kurunkadugal), micro-forests, biodiversity parks, mangroves, and agroforestry within urban and peri-urban areas.
• Preparation of city biodiversity plans, urban greening micro-plans, geospatial mapping, carbon accounting, and real-time dashboards.
• Provision for green fees, incentives based on Urban Greening Factors, and integration of greening into all departmental projects.
• Adoption of Urban Green Livability Guidelines (Nature-based Solutions Institute, Sweden) and the City Biodiversity Index (Singapore Index).
Significance
• Helps mitigate urban heat island effects, improve air quality, and enhance climate adaptation.
• Improves per-capita green space access, public health outcomes, and overall quality of urban life.
Relevance in UPSC exam syllabus:
• GS Paper II (Governance): Role of state governments, urban local bodies, policy implementation, cooperative federalism.
• GS Paper III (Environment & Climate Change): Urbanisation challenges, sustainable development, climate resilience, nature-based solutions.
• Essay / Case studies: Sustainable cities, climate-responsive governance, balancing development and ecology.
Changing blue-collar labour dynamics in the Gulf
Context: The United Arab Emirates has emerged as the top overseas destination for Indian blue-collar workers, overtaking Saudi Arabia in 2025.
About Changing blue-collar labour dynamics in the Gulf:
What it is?
The trend signifies a reorientation of Indian blue-collar migration within the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), with workers increasingly preferring destinations offering higher wages, better safety, and stable employment conditions.
Key trends:
• UAE surge: In 2025, 200,686 Indian workers migrated to the UAE, surpassing Saudi Arabia (136,812), reversing earlier patterns.
• Mixed GCC trends: Decline in Qatar due to post–World Cup infrastructure slowdown. Rise in Oman reflecting renewed construction and manufacturing activity.
• Decline in Qatar due to post–World Cup infrastructure slowdown.
• Rise in Oman reflecting renewed construction and manufacturing activity.
• Higher remuneration: UAE wages are estimated to be 15–30% higher than comparable regional roles, especially in construction and manufacturing.
• Non-economic pull factors: Geographic proximity to India, shorter travel time, safer living conditions, and tax-free income enabling higher remittances.
Significance
• Boost to remittances: Higher earnings and tax-free salaries increase foreign remittance inflows to India, strengthening household incomes and forex reserves.
• Labour market responsiveness: Highlights how Indian migrant labour quickly adapts to regional demand cycles and policy environments.
Relevance in UPSC exam syllabus:
• GS Paper II (International Relations): India–Middle East relations, labour mobility, diaspora issues.
• GS Paper III (Economy): Remittances, labour markets, migration economics.
• Essay: Globalisation, labour migration, and development linkages.
#### UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 6 February 2026 Facts for Prelims (FFP)
Agni-3 Intermediate-Range Ballistic Missile
Source: PIB
Subject: Security
Context: India successfully test-fired the Intermediate-Range Ballistic Missile (IRBM) Agni-3 from the Integrated Test Range, Chandipur, Odisha validating its operational readiness.
About Agni-3 Intermediate-Range Ballistic Missile:
What it is?
• Agni-3 is an Intermediate-Range Ballistic Missile (IRBM) capable of delivering strategic payloads to targets up to 3,000 km. It forms a crucial leg of India’s land-based nuclear deterrent under the Agni missile series.
Developed by
• Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO)
• Operationally deployed under the Strategic Forces Command
• To ensure credible minimum deterrence against long-range adversarial threats.
• To provide India with a reliable second-strike capability.
• To strengthen strategic depth beyond short- and medium-range missile systems.
Key features
• Range: ~3,000 km.
• Type: Intermediate-Range Ballistic Missile.
• Launch platform: Road-mobile launcher (canisterised variants tested earlier).
• Payload capability: Conventional or nuclear warhead.
• Guidance: Advanced inertial navigation with high accuracy.
• Propulsion: Two-stage solid-fuel missile.
• Operational validation: All technical and operational parameters successfully validated in the 2026 test.
Significance
• Strategic deterrence: Enhances India’s ability to deter threats across extended regional theatres.
• Force readiness: Confirms reliability of India’s nuclear delivery systems under operational command.
• Missile spectrum coverage: Complements Agni-1, Agni-2, Agni-4 and Agni-5, covering the 700–5,000 km range band.
CCentral Sector Scheme of Formation and Promotion of 10,000 Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs)
Source: PIB
Subject: Government Scheme
Context: The Government of India has completed the formation of 10,000 Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) under a central sector scheme, with 21.96 lakh women farmers.
About Central Sector Scheme of Formation and Promotion of 10,000 Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs):
What it is?
• A central sector scheme to form and nurture 10,000 new FPOs across India, enabling small and marginal farmers to collectivise production, processing, and marketing for better incomes and market power.
Launched in: 29 February 2020
Implementing Agencies (IAs):
• Small Farmers’ Agribusiness Consortium (SFAC) National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED)
• Small Farmers’ Agribusiness Consortium (SFAC)
• National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD)
• National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC)
• National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED)
Aim: To build a sustainable, income-oriented farming ecosystem by strengthening farmer collectives, improving access to inputs, credit, technology, value chains, and markets, and enhancing farmers’ bargaining power.
Key features:
• Cluster & commodity approach: Produce-cluster-based formation aligned with One District One Product (ODOP).
• Financial support: Up to ₹18 lakh/FPO (3 years) for handholding Matching equity grant up to ₹15 lakh/FPO (₹2,000 per farmer) Credit guarantee up to ₹2 crore project loan per FPO
• Up to ₹18 lakh/FPO (3 years) for handholding
• Matching equity grant up to ₹15 lakh/FPO (₹2,000 per farmer)
• Credit guarantee up to ₹2 crore project loan per FPO
• Market linkage: NAFED-led forward linkages and value-chain integration.
• Capacity building: Structured training via BIRD (Lucknow) and LINAC (Gurugram).
• Inclusion focus: Strong participation of women farmers and coverage of aspirational districts.
Significance:
• Empowers small & marginal farmers (≈86%) through economies of scale.
• Higher incomes & lower costs: Evidence shows ~22% higher price realisation and ~31% lower marketing costs via FPO channels.
Denotified Tribes (DNTs)
Source: TH
Subject: Miscellaneous
Context: Denotified, Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic Tribes (DNTs) have demanded a separate column and code in the 2027 caste Census, arguing that they have been politically misclassified within SC, ST and OBC categories.
About Denotified Tribes (DNTs):
Who they are?
• Denotified Tribes, also known as Vimukta Jatis, are communities that were collectively branded as criminal tribes during British rule. These groups are largely nomadic or semi-nomadic, historically dependent on occupations such as pastoralism, salt trading, acrobatics, snake charming, transport services, and artisanal work.
Historical background:
• In 1871, the colonial government enacted the Criminal Tribes Act, declaring entire communities as addicted to crime by birth.
• Members were subjected to constant surveillance, restricted movement, forced registration, and social ostracisation.
• The law was repealed in 1952, after Independence, and the communities were officially denotified, giving rise to the term Denotified Tribes.
• However, the Habitual Offenders framework replaced the colonial law, allowing police to continue targeting these groups, perpetuating stigma.
Key characteristics:
• Extreme social exclusion: Persistent stigma of being born criminals continues in policing and society.
• Administrative invisibility: Many DNTs lack caste certificates, domicile records, or land titles.
• Educational deprivation: In several regions, entire communities have negligible secondary-level education.
• Economic precarity: Seasonal migration, informal labour, and absence of stable livelihoods dominate.
• Political misclassification: Most DNTs have been absorbed into SC, ST, or OBC lists, where they are unable to compete with relatively advanced groups. Around 260 communities are not classified anywhere, leaving them outside reservation and welfare frameworks.
• Most DNTs have been absorbed into SC, ST, or OBC lists, where they are unable to compete with relatively advanced groups.
• Around 260 communities are not classified anywhere, leaving them outside reservation and welfare frameworks.
Significance:
• Ensures DNTs are accurately counted for the first time in India’s history.
• A dedicated Schedule would acknowledge their unique historical injustice, distinct from caste-based discrimination.
Deep Tech Start-ups
Source: TH
Subject: Economics/Science and Technology
Context: The Centre has formally defined and notified eligibility criteria for ‘deep tech’ start-ups through a DPIIT gazette notification.
About Deep Tech Start-ups:
What it is?
• Deep tech start-ups are enterprises that build solutions based on new scientific or engineering knowledge, involving high technical uncertainty, long gestation periods, and intensive research and development (R&D), rather than incremental or platform-based innovation.
Organisations involved:
• Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT): Final authority to certify start-ups and deep tech start-ups.
• Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF): Custodian of the ₹1 lakh crore RDI Fund, a key financier for deep tech ventures.
Eligibility criteria:
• Core activity must involve creation of new knowledge in science/engineering.
• Major expenditure on R&D activities.
• Ownership or active creation of novel intellectual property (IP) with plans for commercialization.
• Characterized by long development timelines, high capital/infrastructure needs, and scientific/technical risk.
• Prohibition on non-core investments (e.g., real estate, speculative assets, securities) unless integral to knowledge creation.
• Mandatory application to DPIIT for certification.
Key features:
• Extended recognition window: Up to 20 years (vs 10 years for regular start-ups).
• Higher turnover threshold: Up to ₹300 crore (vs ₹200 crore).
• Policy-backed financing: Access to concessional long-term finance (reported ranges of 2–4% interest, tenure up to 15 years).
• Governance oversight: Certification guided by an inter-ministerial technical board.
Significance:
• Channels patient capital to high-risk, high-impact innovation (AI, semiconductors, biotech, quantum, advanced materials).
• Aligns public R&D funding with commercialization pathways via ANRF’s RDI Fund.
Chabahar Port
Source: HT
Subject: International Relations
Context: Iran has reaffirmed its support for the Chabahar Port project and deeper cooperation with India despite uncertainty arising from renewed U.S. sanctions and the possible expiry of the sanctions waiver.
About Chabahar Port:
What it is?
• Chabahar Port is Iran’s only oceanic deep-sea port, developed as a multipurpose commercial and strategic port to facilitate regional trade, transit, and connectivity between South Asia, Central Asia, and the Middle East.
Location:
• Situated in southeastern Iran, in Sistan–Baluchestan province
• Lies on the Gulf of Oman, with direct access to the Indian Ocean
• Around 170 km west of Gwadar port (Pakistan), making it geopolitically significant
Historical background:
• First conceptualised in the 1970s under the Shah of Iran; progress stalled after the 1979 Iranian Revolution
• Gained importance during the Iran–Iraq War (1980–88) as an alternative to Persian Gulf ports
• India–Iran cooperation began in 2003, but sanctions delayed implementation
• In 2016, India, Iran and Afghanistan formalised cooperation to use Chabahar as a transit hub
• India took over port operations in 2018; a 10-year contract was signed in 2024, including a $250 million Line of Credit
Key features:
• Comprises two terminals: Shahid Kalantari and Shahid Beheshti
• Designed to handle container, bulk, and multipurpose cargo
• Capability to berth large ocean-going vessels, unlike Bandar Abbas
• Integrated with road–rail projects connecting Iran to Afghanistan and Central Asia
• Part of the broader International North–South Transport Corridor (INSTC) vision
Significance
• Strategic for India: Bypasses Pakistan to access Afghanistan and Central Asia Enhances India’s role in Eurasian connectivity
• Bypasses Pakistan to access Afghanistan and Central Asia
• Enhances India’s role in Eurasian connectivity
• Geopolitical leverage: Acts as a counter-balance to China-backed Gwadar Port under CPEC
• Economic importance: Facilitates trade, humanitarian aid (e.g., wheat shipments to Afghanistan), and regional integration
#### UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 7 February 2026 Mapping:
Mount Aconcagua
Source: News on Air
Subject: Mapping
Context: Indian mountaineer Kabak Yano from Arunachal Pradesh successfully summited Mount Aconcagua in Argentina as part of her 7-Summit Mountaineering Expedition.
About Mount Aconcagua:
What it is?
• Mount Aconcagua is the highest mountain in South America and the Western Hemisphere, and the tallest peak outside Asia. With an elevation of about 22,831 feet (6,959 m), it is one of the most challenging non-technical climbs among the Seven Summits.
Located in: Argentina
• Situated in western Mendoza Province, near the Argentina–Chile border
• Part of the Southern Andes mountain range
Geological features:
• Volcanic origin, though it is not an active volcano.
• Comprises two summits (North and South) connected by a ridge called Cresta del Guanaco.
• Formed by complex tectonic uplift of the Andes, rather than volcanic cone-building.
• Exhibits extreme conditions such as thin air, high winds, and sub-zero temperatures, making altitude sickness a major challenge.
Significance:
• Geographical: Highest point in the Western Hemisphere and Southern Hemisphere.
• Mountaineering: One of the Seven Summits, attracting climbers worldwide.
• Scientific: Subject of long-standing debates over precise elevation using GPS technology.
Please subscribe to Our podcast channel HERE
Official Facebook Page HERE
Twitter Account HERE
Instagram Account HERE
LinkedIn: HERE